The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. Here’s what they found:

Human activities have caused the planet to be about 1.8°F warmer than in the early 1800s.

This number is likely increase to 2.7°F by the year 2052.




The severity of future climate-related impacts to humans depends on how much the planet warms as well as the geographical location and ability to adapt and mitigate.

These climate-related impacts include risks to health, jobs, food security, water supply, and economic growth. Some populations are at higher risk to these climate-related impacts such as disadvantaged communities, some indigenous peoples, and communities that depend on agriculture or the coast for their livelihood.



Thankfully, the effects of a 1.8°F increase in temperature is less severe than the effects of a 3.6°F in temperature.

The severity of future climate-related impacts to biodiversity and ecosystems are also expected to be lower at a 1.8 °F increase in temperature than a 3.6°F increase in temperature.





So, what can we do to help?
The IPCC recommends that to reduce climate-related impacts, we can:




Reduce our demand for energy.

Check out our Energy Audit Activity to learn how you can reduce your use of energy at school or in your community.



Reduce our consumption of materials.


How can you lower your material consumption? Check out our Trash Free Lunches and Used Goods Supplies Activities to see how you can reduce your consumption of materials at school or in your community.




Reduce our consumption of foods that create a lot of greenhouse gases.

Did you know beef production releases a total of 30kg of greenhouse gas per kg of food while fresh produce only releases 0.42 kg of greenhouse gases per kg of food? Check out how lower the amount of greenhouse gases in your foods in our Meatless Meals Activity!

Do you want your school or community to join the movement to help reduce climate change? Join Grades of Green’s Waste Campaign to research local waste issues, develop innovative solutions, and share those solutions with your school or community. Click here to sign up today or learn more!

Hello, my name is Gaby and I am a Junior at Marlborough School in Los Angeles. Last year, I joined Grades of Green and this year I am participating in the Water Campaign. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Climate Reality Leadership Conference, which is part of Al Gore’s greater movement to combat Climate Change. There were over 2,000 people in attendance, but less than 100 of them were under the ages of 18; I was so excited to be there!

One remarkable thing about the conference was seeing how much solidarity there was in fighting for the environment. It really gave me a lot of hope and inspired me to find more ways in which I can make an impact. My plans beyond the conference are to make presentations and educate on Climate Change, join my local chapter of Climate Reality leaders, participate in the Grades of Green Water Campaign, learn to use my social media to advocate for environmental change, champion electric cars and solar panels in my school and house, and hopefully plan a smaller scale Climate Change summit for high schoolers in my area.




I know that Climate Change is big and scary, but one of the most important things I learned was that we are the generation that needs to make physical changes to heal our planet.





Here are my top tips for how you can combat Climate Change:

  • 1. Get involved with an environmental club or nonprofit like Grades of Green or Climate Reality.


  • 2. Use public transportation. I use app called “Transit” that helps me find the best routes. And if you need a car, buy and electric or hydrogen option! More and more charging stations are popping up every day.
  • 3. If you are a homeowner, consider installing solar panels. Although they are an upfront cost which can kind of be intimidating, they will eventually save you money!


  • 4.Get a smart thermostat for your house if you don’t already have one.


  • 5. Eat less meat and buy food from your local farmers market.
  • 6. Go to marches and call your local representatives!
  • 7. Educate yourself on Climate Change issues. There are millions of resources at the touch of your fingertips with the help of the internet! Once you know more, share your knowledge with others.

    • Lets not have Climate Change be taboo any longer. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors about it and share things about it on social media. You have a voice, use it!



    If you have any questions, ideas or would like to talk to me further on my experiences Email info@gradesofgreen.org and the Grades of Green team can connect us.

    Download our quick tips guide here!

    On April 17th, Grades of Green Youth Corps Eco-Leadership student Grace C. reduced many footprints- carbon footprints that is! Grace C., a sophomore at Crossroads School in Santa Monica, taught the Boys and Girls after school program from St. Anne’s a Grades of Green Eco-lesson on Reducing Your Carbon Footprint. Over 40 underprivileged students learned about greenhouse gases, the carbon cycle, and how to make a smaller environmental impact on the earth. Did you know that using a screen saver on the computer everyday (instead of turning the power off) will make 3 lbs of CO2? Turning on the lights in your room (and then forgetting to turn them off when you go to school) for 6 hours a day will make 2 lbs of CO2? And taking a bath uses up to 3 lbs of CO2? (A 5-minute shower would use only 1 lb). By reducing our carbon footprint, we can help with the problem of global warming. There are simple things we can do, and the students at St. Anne’s learned how to do, to reduce our carbon use. Students learned that it is better to take a shorter shower, turn off the lights, compost, use reusable containers, and many other tips to help the earth! Grace also played a fun game with them to visually show them how to reduce their footprint. They were all very inspired and educated on how to create a healthier environment. Way to go, Grace! Interested in participating in the 2017-2018 Youth Corps Eco-Leadership program? Applications will be available at the end of May on our website at www.gradesofgreen.org.